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A guaranteed refuge 2

A guaranteed refuge 2
Psalm 91 [short series].

Have you ever been in a long season of trouble that made you wonder whether it is God's will to rescue you? Are you presently in such a season?

The Psalmist not only shows us that God is mighty to save (He can) but also that He desires to save. In the Psalm, God guarantees His refuge by His Promise (He will).
His Refuge is guaranteed by His Promise!
Psalm 91:4, 14-16
God's refuge is guaranteed because He has promised that He will. See how much God says “I will” in v14-16.

But I’m sure we have all experienced people in power and their promises. Like a Member of Parliament (MP) once said to another MP, "All your party is known for are empty promises". To which this MP responded, "At least you find the word promises in our dictionary".

So, we often find people with the power to help untrustworthy. But it’s not so with God! We see this at the end of v4 - "His faithfulness is a shield and buckler". God is faithful to keep His promises; we see that every day (Lamentations 3:22-23), we see it in nature (Genesis 9:12-13) and ultimately in Jesus - once promised, later made flesh (John 1:14).

God's promises assure us of what His refuge looks like in this life:
  • It could look like Deliverance: (14) I will deliver him,
  • It could look like Protection: (14) I will protect him,
  • It always looks like Presence: (15) I will answer & be with him in trouble,
  • and like an Eternal Hope: (15-16) I will rescue & honour & satisfy him.
The promises show that God’s refuge does not make us immune from trouble in this life (Psalm 91:15, John 16:33). Sometimes His refuge means troubles are averted (Deliverance or Protection). But most importantly, God wants us to know His refuge even amid troubles (Presence and Eternal Hope).

Our struggle is often not with whether God can but whether God will. I know God can help me, but does He want to? Scripture describes Jesus as the perfect image of the Father (Colossians 1:15, Hebrews 1:3). Many years ago, a leper knelt before Jesus and said to Him, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." And Jesus (without hesitance, defying every religious and cultural boundary) stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean" (Matthew 8:2-3).

It is God's will to Deliver and Protect completely. Although we will not see all troubles averted in this life, one day, He will fully rescue, honour, and satisfy us - this is our Eternal Hope! And this hope is for now!

His refuge is guaranteed! He can and will rescue you. In Christ, God says Yes, I will.

Reflect & Pray
What life circumstances make you wonder whether God still wants to keep His promise? Why not bring those to Him by faith in Jesus' name, believing He will?
Dear Father, I am grateful that You are a faithful refuge. In times of trouble, please remind me that You are ever present and of my eternal hope in Christ.

Next time, we’ll see how the Psalm shows us that God’s refuge is complete. →

God bless you exceedingly,
Sam.
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